The book had been sitting, unremarkable, on the coffee table in their living room when Gwen finally took the moment necessary to question the cover image.

“Is that a deer in a Santa hat?”

Picking up the book, the clearly photoshopped cover for Chasing A Brighter Blue had a quaint, algorithm-designed draw to it. Gwen could tell at a glance that this book would contain not a trace of deer wearing Santa hats – perhaps it would contain no deer at all.

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of friends who are always out experiencing the best of entertainment. Be it plays, films, concerts, exhibits, or games, they’ve learned that the arts are best when experienced together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Just before Spook-tober ends, the Girls investigate the origin of the Internet’s favorite Halloween anthem. Let’s listen in on their conversation…

“Spooky, scary, skeletons / speak with such a shriek…”

Eleanor hummed as she adjusted the edges of her dress. They had to hang just so, off the shoulder but not too far down the arm. They should float, was the thought. She glanced over herself again in the mirror, adjusted the thin hairband, and grabbed the worn book sitting on her desk.

In the center of the apartment, the scent of pumpkin floated through the air, and she could hear Gwen rummaging in the kitchen. Bats hung from the walls, mini pumpkins crowded the coffee table, and an orange die-cut tabby cat stared down from above the front door.